


On the Streets

by Judaiandjohan, pulveremcomedesligulas, xcyfiawnderx



Series: We fucked up and made a super hero au [2]
Category: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda) - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Child Abuse, Homelessness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2020-10-24 06:14:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20701265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Judaiandjohan/pseuds/Judaiandjohan, https://archiveofourown.org/users/pulveremcomedesligulas/pseuds/pulveremcomedesligulas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xcyfiawnderx/pseuds/xcyfiawnderx
Summary: The story of Legend, and how he ended up with the Forresters.





	1. On the Run

"A SIDEKICK!!" Link flinched as his father's hands slammed down on the dinner table only a few inches in front of him. "14 generations of Heroes in this family, and you turn out to be a fucking Sidekick?!"

"I-I tried my hardest father, but the professors said my best fit was in the Sidekick class." Link whimpered as he kept his eyes on the table, not daring to look his father in the eye.

"Of course you're a fucking sidekick, can't do anything right in this fucking house, and now you're in the useless parts of society. You're an absolute shame to this entire family, and I should just kick you out of this house right now." The man snarled, glaring down at his son.

"Father please, I'll try harder, I'll get the teachers to move me up to the Hero class, I promise." Link begged, trying to appease his father.

"It's too damn late for that now. Go to your room, pack a bag, and tomorrow I'm dropping you off at the homeless shelter. If you can't even get classed in the best part of school, you don't deserve a roof over your head or a bed to sleep in." Link scrambled up from the table and to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

He slumped to the floor, breaking out in tears as he started to fill a bag with clothes and the small amount of money and food he had lying around his room. Once he was finished, he opened the window in his room and climbed out. He wasn't going to give his father another chance to humiliate him in public. If he wanted him out of the house, he was leaving, and he prayed that he wouldn't have to come back.

Link tried to dry his tears as he walked through the neighborhood, he adjusted his backpack as he walked down a little trail people used to walk their dogs. It was completely empty, as it was almost 10 at night, most sane people were inside their homes, safe and protected from the elements. Link didn't have that privilege, he was stuck outside and now had to find somewhere safe to fall asleep for the night, without having to worry about being murdered in his sleep. 

Along the path were large bushes, and Link noticed there was enough space in the bushes for someone to lay down. He quickly walked over to one, cleared the ground as best he could, and laid down, using his bag as a pillow. It was far from comfortable, despite his best efforts there were still rocks and twigs digging into his back, but at least the bush shielded him from view and the elements. It would do for tonight. Hopefully tomorrow he would be able to find a better place to sleep for the night.

Morning found Link trying to work a crick out of his neck, and his back. Sleeping on hard-packed dirt was not good for his back, noted. He stretched as he pulled out his phone, it was already 7, and that meant he was going to miss the school bus if he didn't get his ass up and going. He grabbed his bag and sprinted towards the bus stop, taking a second to glance in the direction of his house before continuing on his path.

He made it just in time, the bus pulling to a stop as he reached the stop. He hopped on board, ignoring the driver as he collapsed into the nearest empty seat. As the bus started on its path again he gasped for air, trying to get his heart to stop thundering in his chest. Students started whispering around him, but he ignored them, taking the time to straighten out his clothes and check himself out in his phone's reflection. He didn't look half bad for someone who had spent the night in a bush.

School passed by with no incidents, and Link was glad he could keep all of his books in his locker. It would be an absolute nightmare trying to carry them around everywhere with him, especially if he was going to be living out on the streets.

He was on way to the bus home when he was stopped by another student. One of the many Links in the school if he remembered right. Link recognized him almost immediately from the scarring on the left side of his body.

"What do you want Forrester?" Link sneered as he looked the other boy up and down. He was infamous around the school, his mother being one of the biggest supervillains of their time. He was pretty much a disgrace to the entire super society.

"I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. You looked pretty upset on the bus this morning." Link scoffed at the other's concern as if he cared about what Link went through.

"Why don't you mind your own business and worry about yourself." Link sneered as he waved the other off and hopped onto the bus and sat down, ignoring him when he climbed on. He couldn't deny that the upset look on the other's face stung a little, but he would never openly admit it.

As Link sat on the bus, he tried to figure out what to do next. He had about $50 cash, a few granola bars, and a few days worth of clothes. He would have to figure out how to make that stretch long enough for him to find someplace to live. At least he could get breakfast and lunch from the school, he only had to worry about finding dinner every day.

He hopped off the bus the stop before his normal one. He wouldn't put it past his father to be waiting at the bus stop to drag him back home and punish him for running away. As the bus pulled away he looked around the area, trying to figure out what he could do. The stop was right at the edge of town, the suburbs visible almost a mile away. 

Link started walking into town, trying to come up with a plan. He knew there was a homeless shelter in the middle of town, but he doubted they'd let him in without asking a bunch of questions. Not to mention he'd rather go back to his father than spend the night with smelly, dirty civilians who were probably on something.

$50 would hardly cover two nights in a hostel, so he would have to figure out somewhere else to stay. Maybe he could slip into an empty hotel room or an abandoned house. He shook his head at that idea, he wouldn't resort to breaking and entering, he wasn't a common criminal, he'd have to risk sleeping out on the streets until he could find somewhere more secure.

He headed into a fast food restaurant and grabbed a burger with fries before heading to a nearby library. Bushes lined the building and he could spend most of the day in the library, and the night in the bushes, it wasn't a half-bad plan, as long as he didn't get caught of course, but he didn't plan to. Wall merging powers definitely had their advantage.

The plan worked for about two days before the supervisor of the library caught on that something was going on with him. She started chasing him away from the building when it got dark and threatened to call the police on him. That definitely scared him away, if the police were involved they would definitely call his parents, and he wasn't ready to go back home.

It was only his fourth day out on the streets and he was down to $20 and he didn't have anywhere to stay the night. His only other option was trying to find a 'comfy' piece of sidewalk to sleep on. He was sure he could find somewhere decent to sleep for a while. And if all else fails, he could always try abandoned buildings.

Link thought he'd found a decent spot, an entrance in front of a condemned building with the entrance pushed in a few feet and an awning overhead. It was relatively clean and didn't smell completely like urine or rotten food. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who seemed to think it was a great spot, as the moment he set his stuff down, two grown men who looked in desperate need of a shower and a shave approached him.

"Well well, what do we have here? Little junior playing runaway?" The taller man sneered.

"Fuck off, I'm not in a good mood." Link snarled, not wanting to deal with anyone.

"What happened pipsqueak? Mommy and daddy not buy you the Xbox you wanted for your birthday?" The shorter man giggled as if he found himself funny.

"You might not know how things work around here junior, but nice spots like this aren't for wannabe runaways like you. They're for those of us who had to work for it. Now get the hell out of my spot before I make you." The man snarled, trying to make himself look bigger.

"Right, like I'm just going to give up this good spot, just because you said so." Link scoffed, not afraid to call his bluff.

"Oh you asked for it you little shit. You're going to pay now." The man snarled pulling a knife out of his pocket. Link rolled his eyes before reaching back into the wall, his hand slipping through as if it was water.  
Both men's eyes instantly widened and they took a step back in fear.

"Oh shit, this kid's super. There's no way I'm fucking with that Johnnie, he could probably tear us in half with just his mind." The smaller man screeched, turning and running as fast as his little legs could carry him. 

"Fuck kid, I didn't know, look, keep the spot, just don't come after me man, I didn't mean anything by it." The taller man stuttered, before scrambling away from him as well.

Link sighed as he sat back down, that had been a lot easier than he imagined. He was honestly getting ready to run if it got too serious.

It wasn't quite as comfy as the bushes, not that he would ever call it comfy, but it was better than sleeping on a random piece of sidewalk. It was quite a walk to the bus stop, but if he got up early enough it wouldn't be a problem. He yawned as he tried to get himself comfortable for the night, it was difficult, but he was eventually able to fall asleep.

Link ran into a massive problem as soon as the weekend rolled around. He had been trying to make his money stretch and was surprised it managed to last five days, but now he was entirely out of money and had two days with no free meals from school to look forward to. He either had to find a way to earn money or get access to food. If all else failed, he could survive without food until he got back to school. 

He tried to find small jobs, he tried to look for loose change, he even put his pride aside long enough to try to beg for even a few dollars, but nothing worked. The people he tried begging for money looked at him like he was just a piece of washed-up trash, and one even threatened to call the police on him. He had to give up after that, now that he had been out here so long, he wasn't willing to go back to his family. They could rot for all he cared. The only thing he could do was wait for school on Monday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of unfortunate events for Legend.

Link was never more thankful to catch the school bus. Even if he looked like an utter mess, he was going to be getting food in his stomach. Plus he could always use the showers in the gym to freshen himself up, even if he didn't have anything to actually wash up.

He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited in line to grab a tray for food. His stomach rumbled angrily as he looked at the fruits and cereals on display, everything looked appetizing after two days without food. 

He slid his ID card at the register and went to grab a tray, but the senior at the register stopped him.

"Hold on Sidekick, you still have to pay." 

"What do you mean I have to pay? I already slid my card, that's all I have to do right?" Link asked, confused about what the problem was.

"Yeah, you slid your card, but it's out of money, so you have to pay if you want to eat."

"Wait, I don't understand, I've never had to pay for my food before, why is today any different?" Link was getting more and more frustrated by the second. Was the Senior just pulling his leg? 

"Look, everyone has to pay if they want school food. Your parents have probably been putting money on your card, and they forgot to put money on it. Look, just talk to them when you get home, and you can use it again tomorrow. Now move on, there's a line."

Link could only stare at the other student bewildered. He didn't know what to do, this had been his last option for food, and now his parents had taken that away from him too. If he couldn't figure out how to get food, he'd either have to starve, or go crawling back to his parents and beg for them to take him back, and honestly, he'd rather starve.

Link's stomach growled angrily at him for the rest of the day. Lunch was the worst part, hearing, seeing,  _ smelling _ everyone else eating their lunches without a care in the world. He could feel people watching him, but he chose to ignore them as he studied.

As he got off at his normal stop his stomach rolled painfully and he had to stop for a second to let it pass. He leaned against the wall for support, and gave a yelp as his arm slipped and he fell into the wall. Once he was completely into the wall, he shook his head and took a second to reorient himself.

He took a minute to watch the people walk around him, not even paying attention to him. He watched as someone leaned against the wall, talking on the phone, and he zeroed in on their pants. They had a wallet in their back pocket and it looked like it was seconds away from falling out. 

_ 'I can't just steal money from a random person.' _ He thought to himself, trying to resist the temptations.

_ 'We need to eat something soon, we can't keep going like this.' _ His inner voice seemed to argue back.

_ 'But taking it right out of his pocket? That makes us no better than a common criminal.' _

_ 'Well we could go back to begging, let's see how soon it takes someone to call the cops on us.'  _ Link groaned as he had to agree with his inner voice.

Link tried to be surreptitious as he pushed his hand back into the normal world, and carefully pulled the wallet out, pulling it back into the wall with him. Once it was safe he opened the wallet, and his eyes bugged out as he saw several twenties sitting inside the wallet. It looked like the man had well over $300 in cash.

_ 'See? Who just carries around this much money? He was just asking to be robbed.' _ Link scoffed as he pulled out almost $100 before sneaking it back into the man's pocket. He wasn't going to sink as to rob the man blind.

If he stretched it as long as he had the $50, he could make this easily last another week, and he wouldn't have to steal from people again. He got out of the wall and instantly headed for a restaurant. He deserved to treat himself after starving for 3 days.

Link walked out of the restaurant, stomach full and satisfied, and only set back $20. His inner voice was already urging him to go and make it back, but he fought the urge, heading back to his sleeping spot.

When he got there, he was startled to find a big burly man laying in the entrance. He instantly changed courses, ducking out of view to get a better look at the man. The man looked massive, even when lying on his side he looked like he could crush Link without breaking a sweat. There was no way Link was going to try and confront the man, not if it meant losing his life.

_ 'Or we could pull him halfway into the wall and leave him there to die.' _ Link winced at the inner voice, it had gotten really dark, really fast, and he wasn't going to listen to a word it said anymore.

Link turned back to try and find another place to sleep for the night, and bumped right into a man who felt like he was made out of stone. He stumbled back, murmuring an apology.

"Well what do we have here?" Link looked up to see that the man looked a lot like the homeless people he'd encountered before. Clothes looked stained and torn beyond repair, hair looked in desperate need of a haircut, and smelled like he hadn't bathed in the last decade.

"Looks like we've got a brat trying to weasel his way into our territory." Link whirled around to see another, slightly shorter man whose clothes looked even more stained than the other man's.

"Listen here brat, this is our territory, and we know you're working it. Now either you give us whatever you made, or we're going to make it so you can't walk for the next week." The taller man snarled, slowly moving in towards Link.

Link looked between the two men in a panic, before bolting for the nearest wall. There was no way he was going to stay around here, especially now that these kinds of men knew he was here and what he was doing. Clearly they weren't intimidated by his shitty powers like the last guys. His hand had just slipped into the wall when he felt something grab his bag and yank hard on it. He yelped in surprise as he was pulled back.

_ 'Ditch the bag and run, if you don't your dead meat.' _ Link hesitated for a second, but as he was pulled back more, he took the chance and slipped out of the bag and leapt into the wall, leaving everything he had to his name behind. 

He turned around to watch the two men dig through his bag, tearing apart his clothes to try and find whatever he had in his bag. Once they had found the cash, they threw the bag into a puddle and walked off.

Once he was sure they weren't coming back for him, Link bolted from the area, trying to find somewhere safe to stay for the night, somewhere that the homeless men wouldn't be able to find him. He looked around for a while until he found a decent looking abandoned house he could spend the night in. 

There wasn't any electricity or running water, but it was boarded off from the inside, so he would be the only one going in or out. There was even an old mattress in the corner of a bedroom upstairs, so he wouldn't have to sleep on the hard floor. Unfortunately, there weren't any blankets or pillows anywhere, and he didn't have any more clothes to keep himself warm for the night.

_ 'We could always go and steal some.' _ Link wanted to ignore the voice, to try and argue against it, but he had nothing. All his clothes, his hairbrush, his phone charger, all gone. He wouldn't be able to survive anymore if he didn't have a way to get some of it back.

That's how Link found himself walking through the aisles of the nearest superstore. He had a small basket filled with basic essentials. Toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush, a roll of toilet paper, an extra outfit for school, a phone charger, and a new bag. He could feel the manager's eyes on him, and he didn't blame the man, he looked like an utter mess. He wouldn't get near himself with a ten-foot pole under any other circumstances.

He took the basket to a back corner, where he was slightly out of view out of the employees, and started to stash the stuff into the bag. He could hear someone starting to make their way towards him, but he didn't give them a chance to catch him. The moment everything was in the bag he slipped into the wall and walked out of the building.

He ran right back to his new home and waited until he was inside to dump out the bag and all of his goodies. He couldn't help but let out a giggle. That had been both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. The fear of being caught mixed with the thrill of getting away with it had his heart beating at a mile a minute. 

He was tempted to go back and take even more but knew he would have to pace himself, or he'd end up getting caught. With all of the essentials out of the way, he laid down on the lumpy mattress, and let himself fall asleep, already planning ways to make back the money he'd lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the new chapter guys, sorry for the long wait. I have affectionately nicknamed the little voice in Legend's head as his survival brain. It's trying its hardest to keep him alive, it just doesn't always have the best advice. Just a quick disclaimer, stealing is bad and I am in no way condoning, even if you do have wall merging superpowers. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legend gets a mysterious benefactor and is called out before things downhill once again.

Link was woken by an odd tickling sensation moving across his face. He swatted at it, wanting to go back to sleep, but the sensation seemed to intensify until it felt like something was scratching his face. Link opened his eyes and found himself looking at the underside of a very large rat.

He let out a shriek as he bolted upright, sending the rat flying across the room, and he could hear the sound of claws skittering away as at least five other rats fled from where he had been laying. 

He scratched at his skin as he glanced around the room, wondering where the hell they'd all come from. Even with them out of the room he could still feel them crawling all over him. He let out a curse as he checked his phone and saw he had forgotten to set an alarm. If he didn't go now, he was going to be late for the bus.

He grabbed his bag, put the spare set of clothes in it, and raced for the bus stop. He could change his outfit when he got to school, slip into an empty classroom and change before anyone even noticed. As he boarded the bus he ignored the other students murmuring and went right to the back, not even willing to look anyone in the eye. It was humiliating for them to see him like this.

The time before school started was uneventful. The shower was much less refreshing than it normally was, and he thought about stealing some shampoo and body wash next time he went 'shopping.' It would definitely feel good to wash his hair after more than a week. He couldn't even bring himself to enter the cafeteria, there was no point in taunting himself with food he couldn't afford to pay for. But come tomorrow, he would have more than he could ever eat.

Lunch rolled around and Link had no choice but to follow his classmate, Link Chevalier, into the cafeteria. The two were working on a project together, and Chevalier wanted to talk about the details over lunch, so Link had to sit and bear with the smells of food all around him.

"Hey, are you going to get anything to eat?" Chevalier asked as he pulled a bagged lunch out of his backpack.

"No, I don't have any money left on my school card and I forgot to bring something with me today." Link mumbled as he looked down at the pages in front of him.

"Really? Then what's that right next to you?" Chevalier pointed to a small lunch box sitting next to him. Link looked at it and grabbed it, opening it up to find a fully packed lunch of fresh pasta, roasted chicken breast, steamed vegetables, and sliced up fruit. The only thing on the lunch box was a note that read 'You look hungry, eat your meal -A friend'

Link looked around, trying to figure out if this was someone trying to prank him, but no one was even looking at him, so he grabbed a fork, and dug in, happy for a fresh meal.

Before he headed back to his house, Link headed to a nearby convenience store. He grabbed some things he could use to shower tomorrow, as well as a blanket and pillow, so he wouldn't have to use his clothes to keep himself warm at night. 

He was able to slip out without anyone even noticing he had been there. He stopped by a fast-food restaurant and grabbed dinner before heading back to his house. It wasn't nearly as good as the food he'd gotten from his benefactor, but it would do for the night. With his stomach full and his plans set out for tomorrow, Link laid out his blankets and fell asleep

Link's bag was heavier than normal in the morning, but he chose to ignore it. If this went off without a hitch, he could always keep his stuff inside of his locker and wouldn't have to carry it with him. When no one was looking, Link slipped into the walls and headed straight for the locker rooms. He walked to the shower stall closest to the wall and set his stuff up, locking the door behind him.

It would be an understatement to say the shower felt amazing. After a week of living in his own grime and sweat, it was heavenly to wash it all away. He had to have a debate with himself to get out of the shower instead of standing under the warm water.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and used another to towel dry his hair as he took a step out of the shower. He had put his new outfit out on a nearby bench and walked over to it so he could change, but froze when he heard someone speak.

"Marquis?" Link's eyes snapped to the side to find the younger Forrester standing in the middle of the locker room, clutching a duffel bag.

"Forrester, what the hell are you doing here?" Link snarled as he held his towel to his chest.

"I should be asking you that Marquis. Twilight needed me to grab his bag, he left his homework in it. Were you just taking a shower?"

"That's none of your business Forrester, now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." Link jolted as in the blink of an eye, Forrester was holding his bag in his hand.

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing going on."

"Look, Marquis, I know you don't like me, but I can tell there's something going on with you. The way you're avoiding everyone, how you're not eating breakfast or lunch anymore, and now you're showering in the school locker room. If you need someone to talk to, or somewhere to go, I'm here for you." Link stiffened as Forrester kept talking, so someone had noticed all the signs.

"Back the fuck off Forrester, stay out of my business. I don't need help from a villain." Link sneered at the smaller boy, who took a step back with a flinch, and Link moved forward to grab his bag. Forrester didn't even put up a struggle as he tugged the bag away from him.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go change and head to class." Link smirked as he walked away, bag in hand.

"Marquis, I meant what I said. If you’re in any kind of trouble or need help, you can call me, or my dad, we can help you.." Forrester called out to him, but Link ignored him as he moved into the wall.

As lunchtime rolled around, Link followed Chevalier into the cafeteria. When he turned to ask Chevalier a question, something appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned to see another lunch box sitting in front of him. Opening it, he found it packed with a Mexican lunch. Steak tacos, with rice and beans, and several extras on the side, like lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and guacamole. Link happily dug into the food, relishing in the taste.

As he got on the bus, he expected Forrester to avoid his gaze, but he was still watching him carefully. Link glared at him, and after a few seconds, Forrester averted his gaze, choosing to look out the bus window.

Link headed to the library, he still had to do research for the project he and Chevalier were assigned. They were supposed to do it together after school, so they agreed to meet at the library closest to Chevalier's house. They worked together for three hours before splitting off to head home for the night.

Link grabbed another meal from a restaurant, honestly whoever was feeding him at lunch was going to spoil his appetite for anything else. As he turned the corner onto the street with his house, he almost dropped his bag. There were two fire trucks and a few cop cars parked on the street. Link walked by, trying not to draw attention. 

As he walked by the house, he saw that the building had been on fire, and had burned almost completely to the ground. His heart plummeted as he saw that his most recent shelter had gone up in flames, and he was out on the streets again. He wasn't going to risk a run-in with the homeless guys from before, he had to go with one last option before throwing in the towel.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After so long on the streets, Link finally gets to taste luxury again. What could possibly go wrong?

Link what he was looking for as he walked through town. He’d heard his parents talking about plenty of times around the house, though they had never visited it themselves. It was one of the biggest and most expensive hotels in the county, and it was almost impossible to miss.

Link knew he was taking a massive risk. No doubt security would be tight in such an expensive place. And if they caught him, he didn’t even want to imagine what they would do to him. No matter how much he disliked the idea, another part of him assured him that if there were any problems they could just slip out before anyone noticed them and try again at a smaller, less well-known hotel.

Link took a few seconds to reorient himself as he stood in front of the massive doors. He couldn’t look scared or panicked or shabby. They’d kick him out before he even made it to the front desk. After brushing himself off and trying to tame his hair, he took a deep breath and walked in. 

The moment he passed through the front door, he could feel several pairs of eyes on him. He tried to ignore them as he made his way to the front desk. As he came to stop in front of the desk, the receptionist looked up at him. She looked him up and down, her nose wrinkling in disgust as if he were a pile of rotten garbage.

“Can I help you?” Her voice dripped with disdain, one hand already moving for the phone on the desk.

“Yeah, I wanted to know if I could use your bathroom really quick.” 

“Sorry, bathrooms are for guests only. No public access.”

“Look, I promise I won’t make a mess or anything, I just really need to use the bathroom. You can have this, I just need to go.” Link slipped her the last $50 he had, and she rolled her eyes before taking it.

“Fine, but make it quick. Down this hallway to the right.” She waved her hand dismissively, and LInk rushed off before she could change her mind and call security. 

Once inside the bathroom, Link ignored the other men standing at the urinals and slipped into the nearest unoccupied stall. He contemplated locking it for a second before deciding not to. Locking the door would just leave a trace, a clue that he had been there and hadn’t left through normal means.

Taking another deep breath to center himself, Link pushed himself into the wall. He relaxed now that he was in a familiar setting. He knew walls, he knew how to navigate them and how to get away if he needed to. Now that he was comfortable again, he slipped out of the bathroom completely unnoticed.

He slipped between and the rooms as he looked for something specific. Massive hotels like this had to have vacancies. If he could just find one of them, he would be able to stay there without the staff knowing he was there. 

Link finally found one on the fifth floor. It was a beautiful suite, one that his parents would definitely book for themselves. There was a massive bed, a small kitchenette, and when he peeked into the bathroom, he even found a jacuzzi.

Link slid out of the wall, letting out a massive sigh of relief as he took everything in. After leaving in the slums for a week, this place was like heaven. He was finally getting somewhere in life.

Wanting to get familiar with the room, Link decided to check the bathroom first. While it had a shower in the corner, the main attraction was the jacuzzi. It was massive, big enough that if he really wanted to, he could use it as a small swimming pool. 

The bathroom was well stocked with basic things like toilet paper and towels, extra things like the samples of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The thing Link was most excited about was the bubbles and various scents for the jacuzzi. The only thing Link couldn’t find was a hairbrush, and Link was glad he still had his in his bag.

Next, he moved on to the kitchen. It had a minibar, fully stocked with waters, sodas, alcohol, and a bunch of snacks and goodies. There was a sink and a small stove, but no actual dishes. There was even a coffee maker, Styrofoam cups, and packets of coffee and tea set out. 

The living area was the last thing Link checked. A massive king-sized bed sat against one wall, while two couches sat in front of a flat-screen tv perched on the wall. Link set his bag down on the couch and fell back onto the bed. He let out a massive sigh of relief at just how comfortable the bed was. He found himself dozing off but shook himself awake, he wanted to take a bath before he fell asleep.

After nearly half an hour spent messing with the faucets, the jets, and the various bubbles and scents, Link let himself relax in the water. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live in a hotel for long, but he wanted to enjoy it while he still could. Link found himself falling asleep in the tub, so he got himself cleaned and dried off before heading to bed. He collapsed on the bed and managed to squirm under the covers before falling asleep.

Link was able to live comfortably for two days. he loved the bed and the jacuzzi as much as he could but didn't touch the minibar and the snacks. Despite what his inner voice said, Link didn't feel comfortable taking even more from the rooms than he had to. 

He made sure to change rooms after getting back from school, so he wouldn't be caught for staying in one room for too long. On Saturday, Link had to leave early to wrap up his school project with Chevalier, and got back, moving to another suite, this time on the third floor. As he lay in bed, dozing off, he couldn't help but think about how he could get used to this kind of life.

Link was pulled out of his sleep by a loud shriek. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as someone bolted out the door. It took him a few seconds for him to fully wake up and realize what had just happened. He had overslept and couldn’t sneak out before the next guest checked in, and now he was going to be in major trouble if he didn’t get out before security arrived. 

He scrambled to gather all of his things and had his hand on the wall when the door swung open again. 

"Alright son, the jig is up, come on out and we won't have any problems." The man, probably some kind of manager or security officer, called out. 

Link’s mind blanked in his panic, he couldn't get caught now, he wasn't going to go back to his parents. He snapped out of it as the man took a step into the room, and he pushed into the wall before the man could reach him.

He slid past the man, who was unable to do anything to stop him, but Link could hear the man chasing him down the hall. Right as he reached the door to the stairwell, Link felt something grab him. He let out a gasp as whatever it was tugged at him, slowly pulling him out of the wall. It was a horrible sensation like someone had sunk a hook into his chest and was using it to pull him through jello.

He landed on the floor with a hard thud and all the air was forced out of his lungs. As he laid on the ground, trying desperately to catch his breath, his entire body was wracked with tremors. He'd never been pulled out of a wall before, never had someone counter his powers in such a violent manner. It left him feeling weak, difficult to breathe, and unable to string together a coherent thought. He could hear people talking around him, but couldn't concentrate on what they were saying.

Someone grabbed him by the arm and tried to lift him to his feet, but Link's legs wobbled, almost giving out from underneath him. They caught him before he could fall through and they helped him into the elevator, down to the lobby, where there were already two police officers waiting. 

Whoever was holding him handed him over to the officers and he was put into the back of the police cruiser waiting outside for them. He had almost completely recovered, but it was too late as they pulled away from the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry this is taking so long to get up, but I promise the wait for the next chapter shouldn't be anywhere near as long. Thank you for sticking with this, and thank you for the kudos and comments.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legend spends some time in the slammer and gets a little help from the outside.

Did you know that they handcuff you to chairs in jail?

They handcuff you to chairs in jail.

That's how Link found himself handcuffed to a chair between a guy that looked like he had more tattoo than skin, and a woman who decided four in the afternoon was the perfect time to drink and drive. Add that to a room full of loud, angry, and terrified people in police custody, and Link was actually scared.

The little voice in Link's head kept trying to convince him to just merge into the wall and run as far and fast as possible. He had to remind the voice that the guards had slapped Power Neutralizing cuffs on him, so the only thing he'd end up doing was slamming face-first into a wall.

A guard's eyes fell on him, and as he sank down into his chair he wondered if they could possibly have telepathy. He fidgeted nervously, waiting for his name to be called. When that happened, they'd give him a chance to call his parents before taking him back to the holding cells. He could handle a few cellmates over the obnoxious room filled with deafening voices and strong odors. He hated it in there.

"Link Marquis."

The officer's voice pulled Link back to reality and he jumped up so fast that a second officer put her hand on her taser in case he was about to start something. He apologized quickly, almost wincing when she didn't take her hard gaze off of him while she released his handcuffs from the chair. 

She nudged him in the direction of the officer who had called his name. Link followed the officer to a back office with a desk and a phone sitting on it.

"You get one call, ten minutes, don't mess this up." Link scrambled to the desk and picked up the phone, before looking towards the officer.

"Can I get a phone book?"

"You don't know your own parent's phone number?" The officer looked at him in disbelief.

"I never had to learn it, that's why I had a cell phone." Link mumbled as he refused to look at the officer. The officer scoffed at him before going to find a phone book for him. He returned with one and threw it on the desk for him.

Once the officer closed the door, Link grabbed the book and went straight to the F's, he had no intention of calling his parents. The officers up front already did, so what was the point? Once he found the number, he dialed it on the phone. It rang for a few seconds before being picked up.

"Alright Wild, what did you do this time?" An irritated feminine voice asked on the other end.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know who else to call, and, and Forrester said if I ever need anything that his family would be able to help." Link couldn't hide the fear in his voice. The other voice was silent, and for a moment, Link was terrified that they had hung up.

"Look, hun, I don't know who you are, but Wild's pretty good at reading people, and if he made you a promise, I'm not going to go against it. What can I do to help?" Link nearly cried from joy at the words from the other.

"I-I'm at the city police station, and they're going to call my parents, but I don't want to go back with them, I can't go back with them. My father's going to kill me, and if he doesn't he's going to make my life a living hell."

"Alright, we'll be over in a few minutes, just hold tight hun. I promise we're on our way." Link nodded, before remembering she couldn't see him, but before he could say anything, the line went dead.

"Alright kid, your time is up, let's go." Link put the phone back with a sigh and followed the officer back into the hall.

The officer led Link to the last cell and held open the door. Link tried not to look at him as he shuffled inside, noting rapidly that he was alone. Lucky him: No cellmate! Maybe it was because he was a minor? He didn't know, he didn't question it either. If he was alone, no one could see how much he was trembling.

The cell door closed behind him, the loud clanging making him jump before the lock clicked. He watched the officer leave, his hands wrapped around the bars like a dog with his nose pressed to the cage bars in the pound. It was horrifying to him, he hated it. He was caged like a wild animal.

Jail wasn't so bad if he was being honest. Free meals, a bed to sleep in, and general hygiene, it was like a motel with bars. At the very least, it was better than the streets. However, they did have to take his name, so his parents couldn't be far behind. It would have been nice to take it easy for a few days, but they would have to come in at some point.

The officer soon returned, and Link sat up on the hard concrete slab they called a bed. There wasn't any kind of clock in the cell for him to be able to tell how long he'd been in there, and honestly, it felt like it could be anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours.

"You've got visitors, kid, let's go." As the officer unlocked the door, Link stood up and scrambled out of the room, not wanting the officer to change his mind. 

His heart pounded in his chest as they walked through the halls. There were only two possibilities here, one was facing the wrath of his parents, and the other was throwing himself at the mercy of Forrester's parents, and he honestly didn't know which he preferred.

As the officer opened the door to an interrogation room, Link held his breath in anticipation. He would have to plan his next steps very carefully.

When he stepped into the room, Link's attention was immediately drawn to the man standing behind the table. Despite seeing him almost every day at school, Link couldn't help but be intimidated by the former hero. The man was huge, covered in scars, and missing one eye, his entire posture commanded respect. At that moment though, he was Link's only hope of getting away from his father.

Link took the chair on the opposite side of the Hero of Time, and while the officer talked about some kind of rule, he looked to the person sitting across from him. It was a woman with bright red hair and kind brown eyes that put eased some of Link's frayed nerves. When she gave him a gentle smile, he couldn't help but smile back shakily at her. 

"It's Link, right? My name's Malon, and this is my husband Link. Though you probably know that, considering he teaches at your school." Malon chuckled softly at that.

"I don't really know him that well ma'am, he teaches the Hero class and I'm in Sidekick." Link murmured, looking down at his hands, unsure of what to do.

"Link, I know this isn't the most comfortable situation, but if your parents make you feel unsafe or uncomfortable you need to tell us." Professor Forrester’s attention was on him and he squirmed uncomfortably.

Link's father had always told them that family business stayed inside the house. There was never a good time to air the family's dirty laundry. No matter how much screaming, fighting, hitting went on inside the house, they never acted it out or talked about it in front of others.

"Link honey, we want to help you, but you need to talk to us. Did you run away from home? How long have you been out on your own?"

"I, umm, I ran away from home last Monday. My dad was upset I was placed in Sidekick class, and, and he said he was going to leave me at a homeless shelter. So I ran away before he got the chance." Link stuttered.

"You've been living out on the streets alone for two weeks? Oh, you poor thing."

"If your parents are hurting you in any way you need to tell us, so we can make sure you don't go back to them." Link whined low in his throat as he sank down into his seat. Part of him was screaming not to get anyone outside of the family involved, but at the same time, his inner voice was screaming that this was their only chance to get help. He was torn between the two and couldn't make up his mind.

"Listen Link, you know I was Hero for a long time right?" Link looked up at the older man and nodded. Of course he knew, who didn't know about Professor Forrester, who was one of the best Heroes of all time. "Well, then you know as a Hero it's my job to protect those who need help. I may be retired, but I still try to do it whenever I can, so please Link, let us help you."

Link closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say. When he opened his eyes, he was ready, ready to talk about everything that happened with his parents behind closed doors. He wasn't going to let them keep getting away with it anymore, family or not.

As Link was led back to his cell he let out a sigh of relief. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders, and he could breathe for once in his life. His hearing wasn't until tomorrow, and he had no idea when his parents would actually show up, but he had faith in Link and Malon, that they really would be able to help him. All he had to do was survive until his hearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I promised this chapter would be quicker than the last one and I have delivered. That's all I have to say for this time around, so I hope you guys enjoyed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two weeks on the street, Legend finally gets to face down his own parents in court.

After talking with the Forresters, the rest of the day passed by uneventfully. He had no other visitors, which he was thankful for, and he was able to get a couple of hours of sleep. 

As breakfast was handed out to the inmates, LInk was informed his hearing was set for noon. Once it hit 7, he and a few of the other inmates would be taken to the court to await their trials. Link was thankful for the extra few hours he got before he had to face the consequences, and very likely, his parents.

The cell in the courthouse was smaller than the holding cell in jail. The only things in the room were a metal bench for him to sit on, a toilet in the back corner, and a partition to partially shield him from view if he were to do his business. 

Link sat on the bench, trying to enjoy the calm before the storm that was sure to hit. He was a little surprised his parents weren’t already here, though that may have to do with only lawyers and guards being allowed near the holding cells. There was loud clang against the bars, and Link looked up to see a guard holding out a bag for him

“Looks like you’ve got a guardian angel or something kid. Clothes, from a visitor.” The guard explained as he pushed the clothes in through the small slat on the door.

Link took the clothes with him behind the partition to change. He opened the bag to find a set of clean dress clothes. Plain black slacks, a white button-up shirt, and black dress shoes, and he found that they fit him quite well. He wondered if they belonged to one of the Forrester kids, and if it did, to which one. Without a hairbrush, he couldn’t do much more than run his fingers through it to try and get it to behave. It didn’t work as well as he had hoped. 

  
Soon his time was up, and the guard led him out of the cell and down to the courtroom. He hadn’t seen or even heard from his parents since he was arrested and it was starting to fray on his nerves. 

He had expected his father to be here, giving him that smirk that meant he was in for a load of shit when he got home, or his mother with that tight-lipped smile that always made him feel like he was the biggest disappointment in the world. But there wasn't any of that. He had been left completely alone.

As they entered the courtroom, Link spotted them right away. It was almost impossible to miss them. The courtroom was nearly empty, with only the court secretary, two guards, and four people in the observation area.

Link’s parents were sitting near the front of the courtroom, right behind where he would be standing. They both had neutral expressions on their faces, but when Link entered the room their eyes were on him, and the hard look in their eyes made Link want to vanish on the spot. He could tell they were both furious, and they hadn't even said or done anything.

Wanting to avoid their scathing looks, Link looked at the other pair in the room. He was relieved to see Professor Forrester and his wife sitting on the other side of the spectator area. Professor Forrester noticed him looking at them and nudged Malon. When she looked at Link she gave him a reassuring smile, and Link felt some of his anxiety fall away. He could survive the hearing and whatever his parents were going to try and put him through during it. He had people watching out for him, and they had confidence in him.

The officer escorted Link to the wooden table in the center of the room, and Link took a seat. He could feel his parents' gaze burning into the back of his head but tried to ignore it. As another officer announced the judge, Link stood up. His nervousness returned as the man walked in, this was really happening, he was really going on trial. With a word from the judge, they all took their seats again.

"Mr. Marquis, you are being charged with trespassing, breaking and entering, and use of your powers for illegal activity, do you understand the charges?" The judge looked at Link, and he had to fight the urge to squirm in his seat.

"Yes, your honor."

"It says here your a hero in training, is that correct?" Before Link could answer another voice spoke up from behind.

"That's right, fortieth generation super, of course he's going to be in training to be a Hero." Link winced at the sound of his father's voice.

"I'm sorry, Mr-"

"Marquis, that would be my son."

"Well Mr. Marquis, please allow the defendant to answer the question." The judge retorted, and Link's father went silent, much to Link’s relief.

"Yes your honor, I was accepted into a Hero school and I'm in training to be a Sidekick." 

"Now what's a sidekick in training doing using his power to break into hotel rooms?" The judge seemed to be genuinely curious. Link wasn't sure how much to say, but he didn't have to.

"Running away from home is what he was doing. Thought he'd be able to hide out in a hotel room, but that clearly didn't work." His father sneered from behind him.

"Mr. Marquis, I already told you, allow the defendant to answer his own questions. If you disrupt this court again I will have you escorted out of the courtroom and you will not be allowed back in." Link could hear him scoff, but aside from that, he was quiet. "Now please Mr. Marquis, in your own words, why would you use your power to sneak into a hotel?"

"I ran away from home and I didn't have anywhere else to go. I didn't think it would be hurting anyone if I just stayed a few nights in an empty room."

"There are plenty of homeless shelters or programs you could go to that could help in that situation, did you try any of those?"

"I didn't feel comfortable going to any of them, your honor. I've heard stories about them and I didn't know if they were any safer than the street." 

"And you didn't feel safe returning home?"

"This is bullshit! Are you saying my house isn't safe? He chose to run away, don't try to blame any of this on me!" Link jumped as his father shouted from behind him.

"Mr. Marquis, I already gave you a warning, you need to leave this courtroom now." The judge glared at his father, and an officer went to escort him out of the courtroom.

With his father and mother out of the courtroom, Link felt like he was able to breathe properly. His mother had chosen to leave with her husband, so she wasn't there to give him disapproving looks either, so he was able to relax slightly.

"Mr. Marquis, did you not feel safe returning to your own home?" The judge looked like he knew the answer but still had to ask.

"No your honor, I didn't feel safe, and I didn't have another option."

"Normally we'd have to hold trial, but with the display shown here today I think it's safe to say these are special circumstances, so I'll give you an alternative. You can go to trial for the charges, or you can take 300 hours of court-ordered community service."

"The community service please." Link blurted out, he blushed as he realized he'd been rude and interrupted the judge. Thankfully the judge didn't look upset about it.

"Well that settles it then, Mr. Marquis, you are sentenced to 300 hours of community service. If you do not complete it you will have to return to court to stand trial for the charges mentioned before. Court is adjourned." The judge started to stand up, but before he could leave another voice spoke up.

"Excuse me, your honor, I did want to say something." Link turned to see Professor Forrester standing up now.

"Court has been adjourned Hero Forrester, there's nothing more to say." 

"My apologies your honor, but It is regarding the trial and I think it should be said." The judge sighed before returning to his seat. "Due to the display shown by Mr. Marquis's father today in court, and his admission of not feeling safe in his own home, I don't believe it would be safe to release the boy back into their custody."

"You make a good point, but as he has stated he doesn't have any other options."

"As a peace officer, I believe his well being is in danger if he returns to them. That's why I'm calling for emergency custody of him your honor. "

Link looked at Professor Forrester in surprise. When he had said he'd keep Link safe from his own parents he hadn't been expecting that. What did emergency custody even mean? Did it mean he wouldn't have to go back with his parents?

"The court recognizes Hero Forrester's claim for emergency custody. Mr. Marquis, you will have to return to the court's holding cell while the claim is being processed, do you understand?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Then court is adjourned."

Link was silent as he was escorted back to the holding cell and left alone to process what had just happened. Despite everything that had happened, he couldn’t get his mind off the term ‘emergency custody’ and what it could mean for his future.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as a guard came up to his cell door and unlocked it to let him out.

"Alright, you're being released, I'll take you up to the front desk, and then your guardians will take care of things from there." Link followed the guard out of the holding cells and to the main part of the courthouse.

Professor Forrester and Malon were standing by the front desk, waiting for him. As the cleric explained how he would have to document his service hours and check-in for the updates, Link just watched the Forresters, unsure of just what was happening.

They were dismissed and Link followed them outside of the courtroom, but finally had enough.

"Look, I appreciate what you did for me Professor Forrester, but can you please explain to me what just happened? What's emergency custody? Is that why they release me to you and not my actual parents?

"Let’s see if I can explain it properly. As a former Hero, if I think a minor is in a dangerous situation with their current family or guardian, I am required to report it. If the danger is prevalent enough that their life is at risk, I can call for emergency custody. This seizes custody from the parents and puts them in the custody of the court. 

"The parents are ordered to go to court where they will have to prove they are able to care for the child and the home situation is not life-threatening. Until then, the court will place the minor with a foster family where they will remain until the court comes to a decision about permanent custody.” Professor Forrester spouted off as if reading it from a book.

“But why did they release me to you? I mean you called for the emergency custody, but that doesn’t mean you get custody right away, right?”

“With any other peace officer, it would not have been that quick or simple, no. But thanks to _specific circumstances_, I am on an Approved Guardian list. As such, they were able to release you to my custody the same day the emergency was called. So unless the court rules otherwise, you’ll be staying with us for the time being.” 

"And because of the court order, your parents can't talk to you or try to do anything to you. You're safe with us, we're not going to let them hurt you anymore." Malon gave him a reassuring smile.

It hit him that he was free of his parents and he was finally safe. Tears formed in his eyes, and as he started to cry, Malon pulled him into a hug, and for the first time in a very long time, he knew everything was going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First things first, I am not a lawyer, none of this is sound legal advice for anything. The entire court proceedings in this fic come from my brief research of California law regarding child abuse cases and emergency custody, so it might not be entirely accurate. 
> 
> Hello everyone, welcome to the end of one of my first fics for this AU. It was a fun one to write and I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read and comment on it. So until next time, I hope you guys enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my attempt at making the backstory for Legend. I will admit I've never been homeless myself, so I don't really have experience with any of this so if there's any kinds of mistakes, please feel free to correct me in the comments. 
> 
> Written by Judaiandjohan


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